The Black Hills

by Stuart Bray, Danielle Yvonne (editor)

Devin Donahue's thrill-seeking brother Ricky has ventured out in to the Black Hills, the infamous location where three documentary film makers vanished without a trace ten years prior. Now, weeks later, Ricky still hasn't returned home, and it's up to Devin to venture in to the Black Hills to find him. Will Devin find his brother? Or will something find Devin first?

Genres: Horror

132 pages, Paperback

Published December 9, 2024

Reviews

[Sarah Stevens · Rating 4 out of 5]

creepy!

Not what you would expect from Bray, but awesome just the same. This here proves that no matter what he writes, it is going to be amazing. He just took the scariest part of The Blair Witch and made it nightmare inducing, once again! Thank you Stuart for writing another kick ass story! 🫀🫀🫀🫀

[Mo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have seen the Blair witch project many times, I have read a lot of Stuarts books (as well as other horror/splatter punk/gore). but idk for some reason this one actually scared me a bit. I'd only read it during the day. per usual loved it!

[Stefanie Duncan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stuart Bray takes the events of The Blair Witch movie and puts it on steroids. It’s set after the movie.

Ricky and his gf Mary enter the Black Hills, to see where everything happened in the movie (or documentary as noted in the story). After their disappearance, Devin, Ricky’s older brother, sets out to find them, and, instead of finding his brother and gf, finds something entirely different.

This short Novella is such a good idea. We all were frightened by the infamous “found footage” movie in the 90s. This novella tries to catch that feeling and lifts that fear factor. At times it does get a bit confusing. That’s why I took off a star. I don’t mind when the protagonist/s is/are confused but it just felt too jumpy at times. That kind of bugged me. Otherwise a solid story, which I liked a bit better than the OG story.

[Danielle Yvonne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really well done. Concept is super different and executed brilliantly. If you’re a fan of found footage films / Blair Witch, this is definitely the book for you!!

[Eve L. Fell · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 🍒

This book takes place years after The Blair Witch Project. A couple decide (mainly the boyfriend’s idea) that they’re going to go into The Black Hills where the original people went missing and have a looksie.

While in the woods things very quickly turn into a very real and scary situation. Things that Mary felt deep in her heart that could happen. Did she try to warn her boyfriend Ricky something wasn’t right? Well of course. Did Ricky listen? Well of course not.

The couple go missing after wondering too far into the cursed woods. Ricky’s brother Devin decides he has to go out there and find his brother witch or no witch. He isn’t afraid and is determined to get his brother home. But does the witch also have plans for Devin or will he make it out alive?

This book was tense and a bit fever dreamy. It was fast paced and made you think twice about wondering into woods that may or may not be cursed. Stuart is a great writer and I plan on reading more of his books.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

review to come.

[Brittany · Rating 2 out of 5]

Concept was fun. Editing mistakes were not. Felt all over the place.

[Scott Knight · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the quick read and would have loved to rate it higher, but in my opinion this book could stand to go through another round of final editing. As stated by some other readers, the occasional jumpiness of the narrative (which is fine if there are structural markers) and numerous typographical errors prevented me from being able to fully immerse.

Nonetheless, I liked the concept and execution of the story and would recommend this for fans of The Blair Witch Project, which this piece is based on.

[Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is… just okay. It feels like fanfictiony, scary campfire storytelling—genre-heavy and Blair Witch-inspired—but it has some genuinely spooky, creepy moments that kept me engaged. It works around the copyright obstacles well, and tbh, I was forgiving of that. I recommend reading this with The Blair Witch Project playing in the background for the vibes.

The prose and syntax are accessible and read like a YA novel. It’s fast-paced and easy to follow, but it could’ve used a couple more editing/proofreading passes—there are several glaring writing and grammar issues. The dialogue and exposition aren’t great either, and at times it reads like a spec script. But then again…what horror movie doesn’t?

The plot is light, but that’s not really the point—it leans into that found footage vibe where mood and setting matter more than traditional structure. The story’s a little jumpy and underdeveloped, but it’s effective at building atmosphere.

For all its flaws, there’s something eerie and genuinely creepy here, and for that I give it credit. Of the horror books I’ve read, this one stands out for its tone, even if the execution falls short.

Compared to other books, some would probably just call this bad—but for what i paid for $0.99 (kindle unlimited), it’s hard to complain much.

[Eunice Hayward · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good Morning, Darlings of Darkness,

Sooooo… The Black Hills by Stuart Bray. Where do I even begin? Let’s just say this: if The Blair Witch Project got a fabulous, witchy makeover, it would be this book. And honey, I am all about the witchy and weird vibes. This was right up my alley—so much so that I devoured it in one sitting. Yes, in the dark. Yes, during a storm. Because ambiance, darling.

The story follows Devin, who’s on a desperate mission to find his brother and his brother’s girlfriend. Naturally, he gets lost in the woods, and chaos—delicious, horrifying chaos—ensues. If you’re new to Stuart Bray’s work, this is the perfect introduction to his dark, twisty world. His storytelling is smooth as butter, and let me just say, the range this man has within the horror genre. Chef’s kiss.

But fair warning: don’t be like me and dive straight into VOTM first (unless you’re into that kind of chaos—live your best life, boo). This one? It’s a perfect gateway drug into Bray’s nightmare-inducing brilliance.

I loved every eerie, hair-raising moment of it. What’s next, Stuart? I’ll be here, waiting…

Read it or don’t. Either way, I’m obsessed.
Yours in madness,
E

[kayla . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁ · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Black Hills is definitely a fun read if you, like me, are already a Blair Witch fan.

This novella is set following the events of the first Blair Witch film. A young man named Ricky and his girlfriend, Mary, decide to venture into the woods themselves, and much like the trio from the movie, they’re never to be seen again. We then follow Ricky’s brother, Devin, as he sets about searching for the missing couple, all while experiencing some strange phenomena himself.

I think Bray’s novella expands on the Blair Witch mythos really nicely, and it feels like a fitting homage to the franchise. It possesses a lot of the same qualities that I came to love about the film in the first place—it’s atmospheric, at times ambiguous, and just downright creepy. Aside from some grammatical errors and some slightly jarring timeline jumps, I thought this was an enjoyable little read, and it was the perfect thing for me to pick up ahead of my annual Halloween Blair Witch rewatch!

[Angelica · Rating 1 out of 5]

God I wanted to like this, it had so much potential!
......but unfortunately it had 0 follow through.
So the main 2 characters, brother's Ricky and Devin, are impossible to like. Devin, despite being the main character, is hardly in the book and when he is, he has no real personality, he is very two dimensional. And Ricky cares for only himself throughout; when girlfriend Mary begs him to leave the woods, to not go to the haunted house, and to not leave her, he does all three while gaslighting her that he would listen. Honestly I would be glad if he did die.
On top of that, the narrative itself was a complete jumble. It had a bunch of strands that might have linked together but it was such a mess I honestly couldn't tell.
Also, a could not get past the editing errors, there were multiple spelling mistakes and a bunch of times where random words were in sentences that did no make sense- I had to edit them in my head just to read it!

[Pitch Black J · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't think going into this book I would be spooked. I was wrong! This book is creepy and spooky in all the ways it needs to be. This book also has characters that have different stories but also combine well together to make this story whole. Ricky and Mary start out the story and it ends with Devin the older brother of Ricky. The reason behind the story makes it even scarier. I also read this in the dark and felt like I was in the story or watching a movie. I loved everything about this book. I would recommend it to anyone who asked. This was well thought out, written and executed. I also really enjoyed the references placed inside the book. Those were fun to catch. All in all, this author has yet to write a book I haven't been excited to read. It definitely isn't what I was expecting and nothing like I have read before by him.

[Kimberly Spookybookwurm · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember having The Blair Witch Project and the second one, Book of Shadows on VHS. I used to watch those over and over. I appreciated finding all the references to both movies.
I liked the symbols at the beginning of the chapters, it reminded me of the old movie website. I would’ve been just as excited as Ricky was to go exploring these woods, the mystery and possibility of finding something would’ve been really enticing for me. Hearing about Devin and Ricky’s relationship was nice and made it more intense for me. I thought Darla's living situation would’ve been neat. I felt like I could visualize clearly what I was reading. I felt like the descriptions had me just as disoriented as the first film did. Even though I was reading this, it still had that found footage-type feel and I enjoyed that. I felt my heart racing throughout the story.

[Scott Fowler · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Black Hills
Stuart Bray
Bed
Stuart is one of my favorite authors. He's most known for his extreme horror fiction, and he's also great at dark, moody literary fiction. This time he's back with a short , but sweet tale intended to scare the absolute crap out of you and wow! does he ever deliver! Built on the mythos of the Blair Witch movies. the story is a short but satisfying read that does a great job of paying homage to the original movies while still being entirely horrifying.
The only reason I gave it ⭐⭐⭐⭐ instead of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ was due to the large number of typos I found in the Kindle edition. They kinda interrupt the flow and make you have to go back over certain passages.

[Keri-Marie Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 because there is so many mistakes in this book

I love the Blair witch project, so reading this was a no brainer. I loved the story, but it was hard getting past the mistakes in the book. Punctuation in random places or used completely wrong, incorrect spelling and there is even a sentence where they used could instead of couple. The writer did a good job, regardless of the mistakes, but he needs to sack his editor pronto.

[Kayleigh Edmonds · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m giving it 3 stars, but if I could, I would really give it 2.5. Don’t get me wrong, it’s scary at some points. But the writing is kind of everywhere and there’s misspelling in every chapter. This book also would’ve benefited with some sort of page breaks. You’ll be reading one thing and then all of a sudden it goes to a memory without any indication. So there’s moments you have to reread to understand what is going on. Either way, it was a fun short read.

[Bethany Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stuart Bray, you have successfully, once again, scared the shit out of me.
This was phenomenal. The Blair Witch taken even further. I had to read this with the big light on, so you know I was scared. I loved EVERYTHING about this. The complexities of the characters, the tension, the back stories and THE REVENGE. I loved it so unbelievably much.

[Risshan Adele · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a solid read in one sitting, don’t go into the woods story. Really keeps your attention and you never really know what’s real and what’s not. Great The Blair Witch Project inspired book! I loved the creepy house and the witchy folklore vibes. I would definitely be excited for to see more spooky horror from Stuart!

[Jules_withtheaxe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this novella! Given the chance to revisit Burkitsville and the creepy woods from the Blair Witch, I couldn't resist!
The author's take on what could be happening in woods was dread inducing and very creepy. Check it out!

[Ellie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short, fun read, especially for fans of The Blair Witch Project. Super creepy vibes. Sadly marked down as needed more editing (a few typos and confusing time skips). But all in all, a solid effort and I would recommend.

[Jessica Clemons · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was astounding. I read it in one night basically and I loved it. I actually got to a part that made me have to look behind me around 3 am and then I laughed at myself. Stuart Bray NEVER disappoints in his writing. 10/10.

[Tara Losacano · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was seriously creepy, I actually had to stop reading a couple times bc I was getting too freaked out (I read at night in the dark)! And I loved all the connections to the movie, and getting to go deeper into the Blair Witch's lore. I loved this book! 4/5 skulls ☠️

[Shayla Sherwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

not a fan of the Blair witch but the black Hills? yeah I could fuck with this. Stuart bray wrote the book so damn well. the transition between character stories is absolutely flawless and the suspense had my heart racing!

[Taylor Connor · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found the story intriguing as I love Blair Witch type stories and enjoyed the quick read. I would have rated higher but the frequent grammatical errors kept jarring my immersion

[Corey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Had some very interesting ideas. Could have been better. I'm always happy to see someone else add to the legend of the Blair witch.

[Lauren Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a fan of the Blair witch project movie I couldn’t wait to read this!! Loved it ! Super creepy ! Now I wanna go rewatch the movie!

[Martin Fleming · Rating 2 out of 5]

Respect the vision but execution was poor. Also in desperate need of another proof read.

[Alicia Toothman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it! The Blair Witch vibes were spot on, it gave me chills on multiple occasions, and I ended up getting jump scared! Definitely recommend this one!

[Brieanna Mielnik · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book genuinely scared me, couldn’t read it before bed! Almost a 5 star read for me but the story was sometimes hard to follow.